Video surveillance systems conventionally use video cameras to monitor and secure an area. There are several options available for a person attempting to tamper with and/or disable a surveillance camera system. The person may try to obstruct the camera's field of view by covering the camera lens with spray paint, for example. Also, the wires may be cut, or the camera may be damaged or knocked from its mount by physical force. With the last option, it's possible for the camera to still function, albeit with an altered view that may no longer display the area of interest. If the camera is monitored, the personnel monitoring the surveillance system may notice that the camera has a different field of view. However, the larger the area under surveillance, the more cameras and personnel are needed to operate the system effectively and guard against tampering. A given operator can only be effective in viewing video feeds from a small number of video cameras to identify if the camera has been tampered with.
Therefore, what is needed in the art is a method and system to generate and transmit an alert to a monitoring system if an acceleration associated with a mechanical shock to the camera is detected. The system triggers a warning signal that is sent to the monitoring system to allow law enforcement/security personnel to quickly respond.